“Hey, batta batta,hey!” What voice did you hear in your head? It was probably deep and masculine, and thinking of a man in a baseball uniform is normal. Who would think of softball? There is a definite reason why softball was created--by the means of sexism. To prove this point, one can look at the very first time softball was actually played and the reasons why.

Every year FBLA hosts an annual breakfast for New Haven’s local businesses. These businesses help support school-sponsored activities each school year. Around twenty representatives from around town attended the breakfast this year, and Mr. Hoener was also in attendance. A few of these included Fidelity, Citizen’s Bank, and American Family Insurance.

There are many types of books in the world and just as many or more types of people in the world. Everyone has their own preferences on what they like to read. All of the books in the world, no matter what content, fall in two different groups. These groups are fiction (the fantasy and make believe stories) and nonfiction (the real, fact--based stories). The type of books people read depends partly on the reader’s personality Some people may prefer to read fiction books, or they may like to read nonfiction books.

New Haven School District had the pleasure of hearing from Randy Nadler,a familiar guest of the district, on December 11. The originally scheduled date for Mr. Nadler's presentation was December 1, but unfortunately, school was cancelled that day. However, on the 11th, New Haven was able to welcome him for his annual presentation of a new country.

Christmas is just around the corner, but first students have to take a stop in Finalsville. Finals aren’t just a way for teachers to torture students. Mrs. Schlafer commented on this by saying, “I think finals are taken to check the comprehension of the students and their ability to retain the knowledge.” Final exams are tests teachers give their students to wrap up the semester’s curriculum before the long-awaited winter break. Let’s get into what students and teachers have to endure during finals week.

Christmas is the time of year when people get to see their families and share love and joy. Every year, something different happens, but what is the one thing that continues? What’s the family tradition at your home? Many students at New Haven High can say that they have a family tradition, while others can’t think of anything. There are so many different types of traditions, and maybe some that aren’t so “traditional.”

The title says it all! The National FFA Organization (FFA) was founded by a group of young farmers back in 1928. Their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population, and that’s exactly what they do today. They taught us that agriculture is more than just planting and harvesting--it’s a science, business, and an art. FFA originally stood for Future Farmers of America, but the name was changed to reflect the growing diversity of agriculture today.

On December 9th, 2014, the New Haven High School and Middle School Choir and Band held a Winter Concert. The concert started at 7:00 P.M. and ended at 8:00 P.M. Up first was the Middle School Choir, with Middle School Band following them. After they ended, High School Choir came up, and ending the concert was High School Band. Both Middle and High School Bands are directed by Mandy Koch, and both Middle and High School Choirs are directed by Katherine Taylor.

December 1-5th, the New Haven boys competed in the Montgomery County tournament. In the first game Kyle Ruediger had 24 of New Haven’s 35 points. Kyle Ruediger said, “ I get the ball; I find ways to score and then also help my teammates get the ball and score too.”The Shamrocks had a 20 point lead going halftime against Clopton. Going into the third quarter, the boys got into foul trouble and gave Clopton a chance to comeback. Coach Pierick said after the game, “ We had such a big lead; we just gave up; thats what good teams do, they come back and win the game, and we have to come into the next game and find a win.”

Featured above is the New Haven varsity boys basketball team holding their consultation trophy after defeating Montgomery County 78 to 63. Picture Courtesy of Kyle Quick.

Last Saturday, the Shamrocks and Montgomery County Wildcats were playing in the Montgomery County Tournament for consultation, and the Shamrocks beat the Wildcats with their highest scoring game of the year. On December 12,2014 the Shamrocks were ready for the Montgomery county Wildcats .

“Silent Night,” the basketball game/theme night that has become an annual tradition at New Haven High, was held on December 13, 2014, during the varsity game against Barat Academy.As accustomed, the New Haven High School cheerleaders cheered on the boys while wearing Christmas hats to show their Christmas spirit. The student body also dressed up, wearing Christmas hats and sweaters.

Saturday, at five in the evening, the Junior Varsity boys’ basketball team faced Barat Academy at home. Starters for the Shamrocks were John Fleer, Will Soete, Brady Kruse, Justin Shockley, and Zack Vedder. The game started off with John Fleer jumping for the ball, but Barat got the tip, and it ended up going out of bounds. Justin Shockley scored the first points for New Haven. Before the first quarter ended, one of Barat’s players received an injury and did not return for the rest of the game. The first quarter ended at a score of 12-10, with Barat in the lead.

On December 6, 2014, the National Honor Society members held a Jingle Jog 5K run to help raise money for the New Haven track.Members of NHS had to meet at the New Haven Elementary School cafeteria at 7 A.M. to help set up some last-minute things. They set up tables where runners could sit once they were done with the race. One table contained baked goods made by the members and hot cocoa. Besides the table were three coolers that had water bottles and gatorade. Members also set up a starting and finish line outside. To make it Christmasy, they made it to look like candy canes and it was actually built by the NHS members. While they did that, others went around town to set up the arrows to mark the course. Some members were assigned to stay at an arrow to encourage the runners as they went by. Once the other members were finished setting up, they went back to the elementary to wait for the race to begin.

Dominick Pataky, district champion in 2014, and with 4 state medals for his career, is a cross country runner for New Haven High School. Dominick came to New Haven in the 5th grade, always having an interest in running. Dominick began running in 7th grade, starting with track. “I first started running because Mr. Hagedorn told me that he thought that I could be great,” stated Dominick. Freshman year was the most memorable for Dominick. “It was like stepping into a whole new world of running.”

Tuesday, November 25th, marked the beginning of the boys basketball season with an away game at Belle High School. The boys junior varsity and varsity teams started off the season the right way, both leaving Belle that night with wins.

The New Haven girls basketball team started off the season playing in the Montgomery County Basketball Tournament. The Shamrocks, seeded sixth, played their first game Monday, December 1, against rival team the Hermann Bearcats, who were seeded third. This year, the Shamrocks have one returning varsity starter from previous years and a bench twelve deep. This leaves plenty of room to sub girls in and out.

Senior decorating at New Haven High School is something that occurs every year and seems to get better each time. The seniors must first decide as a class what they want the overall appearance of their hallway to look like. After they decide, they then split up into two different groups. One group starts on decorating the hallway, while the other group starts on decorating their lockers. The seniors are divided into two groups so that only every other locker is being decorated at the same time. When the hallway and lockers are finished, the students make their way into the cafeteria to begin decorating some more.

Did you wake up early this morning just so you could eat some breakfast before you went to school? Did you possibly eat some toast, cereal, or oatmeal? Well, on November 18, 2014, the leaders at the New Haven High School all had something in common that they ate for breakfast: Pancakes!

Remember that blue and yellow, sequin butterfly-printed turtleneck Grandma gave you for Christmas last year? It may not compare to the 60” flat screen sitting your room, but it was memorable, wasn’t it? The students of New Haven High have not only experienced a run-in with the not-so-typical Christmas gifts, but also gifts that made their jaws drop from excitement. So the question remains, what did they get?

During high school the counselor always encourages students to plan for their futures. Mr. Doug Pierick, New Haven High school counselor, explains, “They should do their research about how much education is needed to acquire their career.” When thinking of a job, students should think about what they like, what they are interested in, and what they are good at. Mr. Pierick continued to explain, “they should also try to talk to someone in that career and find out all they can about that particular job. Job shadowing is also a very good thing to do,” Mr. Pierick suggested.

On October 25, the ACT was held, and three New Haven students scored high enough to be accepted into the Bright Flight program. The Bright Flight program is a scholarship for students who have scored a 30 or higher on the ACT.

Students at New Haven High School recently took a survey pertaining to their favorite and most memorable Thanksgiving traditions. Students answered questions relating to their favorite memory, food, and traditions.

We are going through the transition from mildly cold days to extremely cold days. Is this a big change for some people, or is it no big deal because it’s the time of year they enjoy the most? Some people might say they hate winter because of how cold it is and/or they may not like snow. Others might love winter because of the snow and the holidays that fall into this season. Which one are you? Students at NHHS were polled to find out how they felt about winter.

Julie Moeckli, a senior here at New Haven High School, has made a tradition of her own. She has managed the girls’ varsity basketball team and the varsity volleyball team all four years of her high school career. She also makes cupcakes for the teams at the end of each season. Julie’s job consists of several tasks that have to be finished before the end of each game.